


Crossing The Line

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:54:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9488039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: All it takes is a little push





	

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended

I handed Tommy his coffee and took the opportunity to study him closely. He looked worried, although he was hiding it, and I was sure that no one else would notice, but I knew him too well.

“Want to talk about it?”

He looked at me quizzically, “about what?”

I rolled my eyes at him, but softened the gesture with a smile, “whatever it is that has got you adding to your frown lines. I’ve known you for over ten years, I can tell when you are concerned about something.”

He gestured for me to sit so I settled in my usual chair in front of his desk, took a sip of my coffee and waited. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back the lock that always fell over his eye, and then looked directly at me.

“Hillier called me into a meeting earlier, let’s just say I didn’t like what he said.”

I shook my head, “oh no, you don’t get to just brush me off like that. Talk to me. Whatever he said, it’s more than you not liking it, you have an expression that reminds me of a bulldog’s arse chewing on a particularly unpleasant wasp! What’s going on?”

Tommy smiled, reaching across the desk to put his hand on top of mine, and my heart did that skipping a beat thing it always did when he smiled at me or touched me.

“You can always cheer me up, thank you.”

I smiled back at him, turning my hand underneath his so that I could squeeze his fingers reassuringly. Since he had returned to work after his arrest for Julia Oborne’s murder, we had become much closer, and now it was not unusual for either of us to demonstrate that with more than words. There was still a line that neither of us were ready to cross; the time wasn’t right and the cost would have been too high.

“The Havers personal pep squad is glad to have been of service, but you are still going to tell me what Hillier said, and I’m not going to stop pestering you until you do.”

I expected him to remove his hand from mine, but instead he laced our fingers together. I didn’t pull away.

“I want to tell you, in fact I need to tell you, but not now and definitely not here.”

“Then let’s get out of here.”

His expression changed, and I saw a myriad of different emotions flit across his face.

“I mean, unless you’d rather not. We can wait until later if you’ve got other things that you’d rather be…”

The words died on my tongue as he raised the hand that he was holding, kissing it gently before letting it go. I mourned the loss of contact.

“Go and get your coat, I’ll meet you by the car.”

We didn’t talk as he drove, but the air virtually crackled with sexual tension. Unless I was reading this wrong, there was about to be a fundamental shift in our partnership; I just didn’t understand what had precipitated his change of heart.

Tommy parked the Bristol outside his Belgravia townhouse, but made no move to get out of the car; instead he turned in his seat to face me. He looked for all the world as if he were on a knife edge, and my concern for him cranked up another notch. 

He raised a hand, his fingers shakily stroking the side of my face, and I leant into his touch.

“Hillier said that he is breaking up our partnership, even though we are, and I quote, the team with the most successful clear up rate across the Met. We have been together too long, and the powers that be have decreed that we need to be partnered with others in order to grow and further our careers. He also said that I was holding you back.”

I shook my head almost violently, not bothering to fight the tears that were seeping from my eyes.

“That’s bullshit! You and I both know that the only reason we are still working for the Met is because of our partnership. If it had been down to bloody Webberley I would have been out on my ear years ago, and I clearly remember what he tried to do to you during the Eugenie Martin case.”

Tommy brushed a finger across my lips, effectively silencing me.

“My lioness; always rushing in to defend me, even when my actions have been indefensible.”

I mirrored his gesture, “they never have been, and you’ve fought for me just as hard.”

Tommy tried to hug me to him, but the centre console of the Bristol proved to be an uncomfortable obstruction.

“Let’s take this inside.”

He closed the front door and pulled me into his warm embrace. I slid my arms around him, my head on his chest, his heart beating rapidly.

“We have a decision to make.”

I looked up at his face through tear filled eyes, “do we; or do we already know what we have to do?”

He tenderly kissed my forehead, “I know what I want, but I won’t force you, you have to be sure.”

“I am. We both know that this was where we were heading, we just didn’t want to risk our working relationship. Now that is being taken away from us there are no more obstacles.”

“Do you mean that Barbara?”

“God yes; in all honesty, we should have been braver years ago. I want everything with you Tommy.”

His lips found mine, kissing me savagely. I melted against him, only staying upright because of his crushing embrace. Fireworks were going off in my head, and a burning need flooded my body. Our kiss must have been affecting him in a similar fashion because, still kissing, he swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs to his bedroom.

~*~

Tommy held me close, the skin of his chest warm beneath the palm of my hand, which rested above his heart.

“No regrets?”

He smiled down at me, “only, as you said, that we didn’t do this sooner. I love you Barbara Havers.”


End file.
